The
new 'Godzilla', like it's Bathurst-winning predecessors, is already
being touted as a giant killer. Benchmark tests in Japan and the USA
suggest the GT-R's acceleration and handling are on par with
turbocharged Porsche 911 models.

The new GT-R sports car will available from a "select group" of accredited dealers across Australia:

The GT-R coupe is a 2-door vehicle with seating for four, and has a super low coefficient of drag of 0.27.

Nissan says that the production Nissan
GT-R piloted by chief test driver
Tochio Suzuki, cracked the seven minutes 30 second barrier at the
famed Nurburgring track earlier this year with a time of 7:29 across the 20+ kilometre track.

But Porsche has cast doubt on this feat.

Porsche's 911 product chief, August Achleitner, recently told CARSguide in Australia: "This wonder car with 7:29 could not have been a regular series production car."

Achleitner
said that it was likely Nissan used non-standard tyres. Porsche's best
time on the same track with 911 Turbo 7:38.

"For
us, it's not clear how this time is possible. What we can imagine with
this Nissan is they used other tyres," said Achleitner.

However, Nissan insists everything was above board.

"The car he drove was a
standard specification model, fitted with standard Japanese market
tyres," reads Nissan Australia's media release.

"By
achieving a sub seven minutes 30 second lap time, the GT-R has proved
it is arguably the fastest mass-production car in the world. Nissan set
out to build a multiperformance supercar accessible to anyone, anytime
and anywhere – and the GT-R delivered that promise," reads the Nissan document.

Is
Nissan in the wrong, or has Porsche just been snacking on sour grapes?
There's an automotive saga brewing, and it's not over yet.

Moving right along, and the standard specification on the Nissan GT-R includes the following:

Nissan will begin taking orders for the GT-R in Sydney at the 2008 Australian International
Motor Show on October 9. Nissan's Australian arm predicts that local sales of the GT-R will hit 200
units in the first year.